Review: Batman: Bad Blood

The follow up to 2015’s Batman vs. Robin, Batman: Bad Blood takes place during an era when bat-themed vigilantism is at an all time high in Gotham City. In addition to Nightwing and the Dark Knight himself, the villains of Gotham must now contend with a new crime fighter: Batwoman. When Batman goes missing, presumed killed in action, do these pretenders to the ‘throne’ have what it takes to stop a crime wave instigated by a mysterious new villain named ‘The Heretic’ (who also dons Batman-inspired garb)?

Bad Blood must have made for an interesting sales pitch: “A Batman film without Batman”. While fans of the cowled crusader may find his absence for most of the film jarring, those with a penchant for the wider DC Universe and the lesser known heroes of Gotham City will no doubt find Bad Blood‘s spin on things to be most refreshing. Without Batman as the film’s central figure, the likes of Nightwing and Robin get a sizable chunk of screen time to call their own. Indeed, it is Nightwing and Robin’s dynamic which is the most compelling sub-plot of the film; they have very different ideas of how best to carry on Batman’s legacy and are not afraid to go at loggerheads with one another over it. The tension they share when on screen together is quite engaging.

With so many characters to try and properly introduce in what is a very limited running time, it was somewhat inevitable that not everyone would fare so well. Batwoman / Katherine Kane and Batwing / Luke Fox (yes, it takes four separate vigilantes to take Batman’s place) feel rather underdeveloped, with precious little time given to get to know the characters. It would seem that just about anyone with a bit of military training and a chip on their shoulder can simply put on a suit with a bat symbol on it and become a superhero in this version of the DC universe. Katherine Kane’s rise to becoming Batwoman in particular doesn’t feel very natural. Perhaps if the film had spent less time constantly reminding the viewer that Kane is a lesbian and more time showing us how she attained such a skill level, her character arc would have felt more complete.

Batman: Bad Blood is also lacking in a truly memorable villain. Backed up by numerous C-listers, The Heretic makes a big impression at first but once we find out who he is behind the mask and what his motives are, he quickly loses his credibility. He then finds himself replaced by another villain whose endgame amounts to little more than mass hypnosis – a thoroughly uninspired plot device.

What it often lacks in good characters, Batman: Bad Blood generally makes up for in the visuals department. The movie’s numerous fight sequences are very well ‘choreographed’ while the character designs are excellent, offering fanciful yet believable takes on the various heroes and villains. There is some pretty interesting symbolism in there too, with several visually striking scenes such as a battle between our vigilante foursome and a vanguard of katana wielding nuns. Then you have a sequence where Bruce Wayne has, quite literally, the mother of all nightmares. There’s certainly plenty of subtextual reading to be gleamed from Bad Blood for those who wish to go down that route.

All the interesting visuals and well put together action sequences cannot fully mask the glaring flaws that we find in Bad Blood though. Splitting the lead role between four antagonists doesn’t work in such a short feature, with certain characters left feeling underdeveloped, and there is know big payoff in the finalé, leading to an ending which is somewhat underwhelming.

Fans of superheroes and the DC Universe in particular will no doubt enjoy watching Batman: Bad Blood, but will find it difficult to fully immerse themselves in it since it isn’t the best written tale.

PS: Yes, the film’s title does bring to mind the ‘Bat Blood’ music video:

Sean is Geek Ireland's resident dinosaur enthusiast, having been fascinated by prehistory since a time before he could read, speak or stand in an upright position (he still struggles to do at least one of these things on a daily basis).
Known as one of the biggest dinosaur fans Ireland has ever produced, Sean has delivered talks on his favourite subject at many venues and events including the Irish Film Institute, the UCD Science Expression Festival, Tayto Park, Dublin Comic Con and even London's Comedy Store.